William Arthur Birkett

Ngā ingoa tuatahi

William Arthur AWMM

Ingoa whānau

Birkett AWMM

Nama Hōia

WWI 4/600 AWMM

Ira tangata

Male AWMM

Wāhi Whānau

Christchurch, NZ

Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 8 May 2023 - Military Record

Tuhinga mō te whānautanga

Son of R. E. F. and Annie Birkett, of "Rosewell," Collins St., Gisborne

Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 8 May 2023 - Military Record

Wāhi noho i mua i te whakaurunga

356 Clifford Street, Gisborne, New Zealand AWMM

Uri kiritahi

R.A.F. Birkett (father), 356 Clifford Street, Whatapoko, Gisborne, New Zealand AWMM

Mēnā he hoa rangatira tōna

Pre 14 Dec 1914 AWMM Single/WWI AWMM

Pakanga

World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM

Te Ope o Tū / te peka

Army AWMM

Nama Hōia

WWI 4/600 AWMM

Mētara me ngā Tohu

• Military Medal (MM) AWMM
  28 Jan 1918 AWMM
  In the operations at Bellevue Spur on 12 October, Sergeant Birkett was with the 3rd (Rifle) Brigade Forward Signalling Party. After the Party came under heavy fire and was split up, Sergeant Birkett collected as many of the Party as he could. Seeing that the advance was not sufficent to enable him to establish the forward situation, he reported back to Advanced Brigade Headquaters at about 7 hours after zero in an exhausted condition. Finding on arrival that all the linesmen at HQ had been wounded he immediately commenced laying lines to the new Battallion headquarters and continued this work untill after daybreak on 13 October. He completed this action on a slope exposed to enemy machine gun fire. His gallantry, perserverance, and endurance maintained communication through to the Battallion at a time when it was especially vulnerable owing to the disorganisation. Sergeant Birkett's gallant conduct has been conspicuous on several previous occassions, both in Gallipoli and France. London Gazette. AWMM
• Cross of Karageorge, 1st Class with Swords (Serbia) AWMM
  15 Feb 1917 AWMM
  For distinguished services rendered during the course of the campaign. London Gazette. AWMM
• British War Medal (1914-1920) AWMM
• Victory Medal AWMM

Te urunga

WW1

Taipitopito ekenga waka

WW1 14 Dec 1914 AWMM
HMNZT 13 or HMNZT 14 or HMNZT 15 AWMM Vessel was Verdala or Willochra or Knight of the Garter AWMM Sapper AWMM New Zealand Field Engineers AWMM 2nd Reinforcements AWMM

Tuhinga hauora

Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM

Te tūnga whakamutunga

WW1 Sergeant AWMM
New Zealand Engineers, Divisional Signals Company AWMM

Son of Mr R.A.F. Birkett (father) and Annie Birkett of "Rosewell", Collins Street, Gisborne

Next of Kin: Mr R. E. F. Birkett, Gisborne (Roll of Honour, Auckland Province 1914-1918 (Volume 1)) AWMM

Matenga

28 Mar 1918 AWMM
Age  24 AWMM

Te momo matenga

Killed in Action AWMM

Urupā

Euston Road Cemetery, Colincamps, Somme, France AWMM III A 2 AWMM

Pānui Matenga

BIRRETT - In loving Memory of our dear Willie, Sergeant W: A. Birkett, M.M. and Cross of Kara George, who was killed in action in France on March 28th, 1918.
His sun was set while it was yet day.
Oh! for the touch of a vanished hand,
For the sound of a voice that is still
— Inserted by .his loving parents and brothers

Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 19 June 2023 - POVERTY BAY HERALD, VOLUME XLVI, ISSUE 14872, 28 MARCH 1919, PAGE 4

Ingoa maumaharatanga

Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 1 Hall of Memories AWMM

Mea e whai hononga ai

Hononga ki waho

• Military personnel file
  https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R22311438
  Further Reference
• A Street Near You record
  https://astreetnearyou.org/person/524484/-
  Further Reference
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission Casualty record
  https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/524484
  Further Reference
• New Zealand War Graves Trust
  https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/
  Further Reference

Ngā tuhinga

• McDonald, W. (2013). Honours and Awards to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War, 1914-1918. (3rd ed.). Hamilton, N.Z.: Richard Stowers.
• New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1914-1919). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Volume I. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
  Vol1: 56
• Roll of Honour, Auckland Province (digital copy), 1914 - 1919. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS-2016-2.
• Annabell, N. Official History of the New Zealand Engineers during the Great War 1914–1919. Wanganui: Evans, Cobb & Sharpe, 1927.